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Defense Intelligence Reference Document Laser Lightcraft Nanosatellites

Defense Intelligence Agency · 77 pages · text from the file's own layer

This Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 1 November 2010, was produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It describes nanosatellite technologies and proposes launching nanosats into orbit with laser Lightcraft propulsion. It also covers a weapon mission selection study and multi-megawatt laser options. The author recommends that the Department of Defense and NASA bring Lightcraft R&D back to the United States and restart the X-50LR flight demonstration program.

  • p. 3 …Ground/Sea-to-Space Concept ............................................................. 27 Figure 15. Air-to-Space Concept ......................................................................... 28 Figure 16. Schematic…
  • p. 31 …Ground/Sea-to-Space Concept: Appropriate rotation of a high-energy laser beam, emanating from a…
  • p. 32 …more than about 10 MW for ground/sea-based lasers, and no more than about 2…
  • p. 33 …SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Ground/Sea to Space (ETO) 261 If laser propulsion can provide nearly all…
  • p. 34 UNCLASSIFIED/ /1"91t 9ffU!l"I!! l!l!il! 8111!!¥ ground, sea and air launches of…
  • p. 37 …favorable for Lightcraft than air-to- ground/sea or air-to-air missions, which are not…
  • p. 39 …to be an attractive alternative to ground/sea-based laser Lightcraft systems. In this case, airborne…
  • p. 43 …would allow detection of most air, land, sea, and space targets, as well as many "low…
  • p. 64 …The Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA) Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems (DE&EWS) Program…
  • p. 67 …Lightcraft nanosat or picosat from the ground, sea, or air, it will be necessary to control…
  • p. 68 …beam train suitable for ground, airborne and sea platforms. • Primary mirror which is also a deformable…
  • p. 71 …to launch laser-propelled Lightcraft from ground/sea to LEO while apertures on aircraft-mounted laser…
  • p. 72 …The entire Lightcraft launch system is comprised of a ground, sea, or airborne laser beam generator…
  • p. 73 …Launching a laser-propelled Lightcraft nanosat/picosat from the ground, sea, or air into LEO requires…
UNCLASSIFIED//P8"1 8PPU!lit.L 1!191!! 8HLY
Froning and Davis [26] also determined that the ground-based laser selected (le = 1.62
μm, 10 MW radiated power, 10 m diameter aperture) would enable a Lightcra~ takeoff
mass of 8 kg and Lightcraft propellant mass of 4 kg. Therefore, this would allow
approximately 4 kg of mass to be placed into orbit with the selected ground-based
laser. And vehicle synthesis work determined that the remaining masses for the
Lightcraft airframe, propulsion, and control systems would be 0.63 kg, 0.46 kg, and
0.45 kg, respectively, together with a 30 percent contingency (of 0.47 kg).
/<3)
Takeoff Mass= 8.0 kg
Frontal Area = .096 m1
Takeoff Mass= 4.0 kg
Frontal Arca= 0.78 ml
/
Takeoff Mass= 8.0 kg
Frontal Ana = .096 m2
1.00
.001 0
(1)
20
Half-Apex Arigle of Fore body (degrees)
30
Figure 9. Lightcraft Vehicle Evolution (in 3 steps) [261.
Froning and Davis [26] further indicated that small COTS chemical propulsion systems,
with sufficient thrust, would be about a factor of 7 to 12 heavier than those needed to
meet Lightcraft orbit circularization needs. However, such mass reductions were
20
UNCLASSIFIED//F&~ &FFI&I.«11! 1!181! &••1:Y

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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 77 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.